"Sir, we have received an urgent circular from the postgraduate section about biometric attendance."
"Let me see it" I said. I saw it and was stunned. It was with a reference to a notice from the health university. Roughly translated, it read as follows.
With reference to a letter from the university, all heads of departments are asked to implement 'web-based biometric attendance system' urgently. Its technical details are as follows.
So take appropriate action immediately and send the report to the university, with a copy to the postgraduate section. If there are any technical difficulties, communicate with the university at the following number. XXXXXXXXX
"Is it for teachers or students?" I asked.
"Um... must be students."
"Has the institute made the hardware arrangements for this thing?" I asked.
"I don't know."
"Has the institute taken students' biometric data like finger prints, iris photographs, retinal photographs etc?"
"I don't know."
"Is it going to be done once or is each department supposed to do it all over, so that 30 departments do it totally 30 times?"
"I think it will have to be done by boss people by arranging a meeting or something" she said.
"Will there be any instructions on how to use the system?" I asked.
"I will have to ask academic boss. I don't know anything about it. I will ask when the boss comes back from vacation."
I checked the university's web site. A search of the site revealed no information on this topic. I checked it three weeks later. Still there is no information on it. I am still confused about it.
"Sir, our biometric data was collected two years ago, and we were given biometric attendance cards. Despite repeated reminders from head office and media reports on the issue, it has not started yet" a colleague said.
"I know" I said.
"The medical council took Rs. 300/- from each of us for issuing us biometric cards three years ago. We have not received the cards yet."
"I know" I said.
"We have not received a refund too!"
"I know" I said. "I am not hoping to get any refund."
"If the civic body and the medical council could not get it done despite taking biometric data of all 2 and 3 years ago, how are we going to do it immediately for students, when there is no machinery in place and no biometric data has been collected? "And is it for each lecture, or once a day or what?"
"I have no idea" I said. The signatory of the circular has not given any information of that nature. The university has nothing on its website. I am not sure if it is for teachers or students."
"So what are we going to do?"
"Faith and Patience" I said. "श्रद्धा आणि सबूरी - as beloved Saibaba had preached."
"Let me see it" I said. I saw it and was stunned. It was with a reference to a notice from the health university. Roughly translated, it read as follows.
With reference to a letter from the university, all heads of departments are asked to implement 'web-based biometric attendance system' urgently. Its technical details are as follows.
GPRS
|
|
Fingerprint capacity
|
3000
|
Record capacity
|
100000
|
Identification speed
|
< 2 sec
|
Sensor
|
Optical
|
Display
|
2” TFT color graphic
display
|
Language
|
English, Spanish
|
Voice
|
High definition voice
|
Other function
|
SMS, web server
|
Communication mode
|
TCP/IP Rs 232/485 USB
|
Wiegand
|
Input/Output
|
Power
|
12 V DC
|
FAR
|
< 0.0001%
|
FRR
|
< 1%
|
Card reader
|
EM Card reader
|
So take appropriate action immediately and send the report to the university, with a copy to the postgraduate section. If there are any technical difficulties, communicate with the university at the following number. XXXXXXXXX
Signed: Academic Boss.
It was very confusing. So I called the head clerk of the postgraduate section and asked her about it."Is it for teachers or students?" I asked.
"Um... must be students."
"Has the institute made the hardware arrangements for this thing?" I asked.
"I don't know."
"Has the institute taken students' biometric data like finger prints, iris photographs, retinal photographs etc?"
"I don't know."
"Is it going to be done once or is each department supposed to do it all over, so that 30 departments do it totally 30 times?"
"I think it will have to be done by boss people by arranging a meeting or something" she said.
"Will there be any instructions on how to use the system?" I asked.
"I will have to ask academic boss. I don't know anything about it. I will ask when the boss comes back from vacation."
I checked the university's web site. A search of the site revealed no information on this topic. I checked it three weeks later. Still there is no information on it. I am still confused about it.
"Sir, our biometric data was collected two years ago, and we were given biometric attendance cards. Despite repeated reminders from head office and media reports on the issue, it has not started yet" a colleague said.
"I know" I said.
"The medical council took Rs. 300/- from each of us for issuing us biometric cards three years ago. We have not received the cards yet."
"I know" I said.
"We have not received a refund too!"
"I know" I said. "I am not hoping to get any refund."
"If the civic body and the medical council could not get it done despite taking biometric data of all 2 and 3 years ago, how are we going to do it immediately for students, when there is no machinery in place and no biometric data has been collected? "And is it for each lecture, or once a day or what?"
"I have no idea" I said. The signatory of the circular has not given any information of that nature. The university has nothing on its website. I am not sure if it is for teachers or students."
"So what are we going to do?"
"Faith and Patience" I said. "श्रद्धा आणि सबूरी - as beloved Saibaba had preached."
